Smoke generator



rch 18, 1947. DWYER 2,417,592

SMOKE GENERATOR Filed Aug. 28, 1943 2 Sheets Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYSMarch 18, 1947. DWYER 2,417,592

SMOKE GENERATOR Filed Aug. 28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSPatented Mar. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT F F l C E SMOKE GENERATORMartin 'Dwyer, Hewlett Bay Park, N. Y., assignor to Aerial Products,Inc., Merrick, Long Island, N Y., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationAugust '28, 1943, SerialNo. 500,354

ZClaims. 1

This invention relates to smoke generators, and more particularly todevices of this character that are adapted to be usedtfor generatingsmoke screensfor landing parties, or as protective coverings formilitary or naval operations, or to be carried in life rafts, boats or.the like, for signalling purposes, especially in an emergency.

Devices of this kind must be of rugged 0,0!1? struction, always capableof instant use, and .of use in an emergency, and capable of long periodsof storage prior to use, without deterioration, or contamination bymoisture, irrespective of how severe or wet the environment in whichthey are kept prior to use. Moreover, devices of this kind should berelatively inert except when intentionally ignited by the user and,therefore, safe to store and keep Without being dangerous fire hazards.

It is an object of this invention to provide devices havingcharacteristics meeting the foregoing requirements.

Another object of this invention is to provide devices of the characterdescribed that are completely self-contained and ready for instant usein an emergency without requiring any toolsof any k nd to put them intouse.

Still another object is to provide devices of this kind that are rugged,relatively simple in construction, which have a minimum of working partsand'which may be simply and quickly-manufactured at comparatively lowcost and-within a minimum of labor.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other obiects as mayhereinafter appear, this invention consists in the novel constructionand arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to bedefined in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdraw ng forming a part hereof, which shows merely for the purposes ofillustrative disclosure, a preferred embodiment of the invention, itbeing expressly understood, however, that various changes may be made inpractice within the scope of the a ended claims, without digressing fromthe inventive idea.

In the drawingin which similar-reference characters denote correspondingparts:

Fi ure Us a top plan view of'the device;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken alon line 2-4 of Fig. l andviewed inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 4 andviewed in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along l ne 4-4 of F g. 1, and alsoviewed in the direction of the arrows:

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to that of Fig. 4,illustrating the device after burning of the smoke-producing compoundhas begun; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section illustrating adetail of construction.

Referring to the drawing and first to Fig. 4, H3. denotes a casing,preferably of metal such as galvanizediron or other sheet metal, of anysuitable, form, and in the, present embodiment of cylindrical form. Thebottom. end of the casing is provided with a tapering portion I l. Abottom cover plate l2 spans the bottom end of the casing and is attachedto the peripheral edge of the casing. or container l0 by suitable means,such as a. standard double seam or bead I3, to provide a leakproof orhermeticalclosure of said bottom end.

An inner lid 14 is fitted within the upper end ofthe casing or containerID. This lid has cuplike form and is made, preferably, of the samematerial asthe casing H3. A omparatively large opening l5.,is providedin the lid. This opening hasan upstanding rim l6 which providesaslightly taperin mouth for the opening. A pan-like member. l1,preferably of zinc, or other readily combustiblemetal or material, issuspended from the lid l4 extending into the container throughsaidopening, and being attached to the rim It by a crimp seam 1.8.. Themember H serves .as a holder for a priming charge 19 of suitable readilycombustible materialcapable of generating ,suflicient heat upon beingignited to disintegrate the member I l and to ignite the smokeproducingcompound 2.8 within the container l0, Whose. characteristics will behereinafter describedmore in detail.

The priming charge 19 is retained within the member I! by a suitable.disc 2! of cardboard, or other readily combustible material, that isfitted into. member H with a force fit and additionally secured in.place by dope, or other suitable adhesive material .(not, shown). Anadditionalretaining ring member 22, preferably of the same material asmember I1, is also provided to hold the disc 2|. in place. This ring is,asishown, alsosecuredsuitably to the crimp seam .A suitable igniter,such asa match head 23, preferably of the safety match type, or thelike, .extendsfromthepriming charge I9 through the disc 2|. Thisigniter, if .of the safety type. isnites when. a striker surface similarto the striking surfaces, of. book-type matches, is rubbed across. it.When so ignited, .it fires the priming compound l9.

Acover. 25. isfitted into the upper end of the casing 1!], beingpositionedin spaced relationship with the inner lid [4,, to, provide thespace 25 between, the, two. The cover, 2.5 and the wall of the containerm, as well as the wall of, member M, are all beaded over together at 21and a suitable annular gasket 28 (Fig. 2) is interposed between thebeaded-over portions of the cover 25 and container l to provide ahermetical or leakproof and water-tight seal at the bead 21'. Solder orother means for providing a hermetical seal, at the bead, may beprovided.

An opening 29 of comparatively large size is provided in the cover 25.This opening is normally closed and hermetically sealed by aconventional tear strip 30 of well-known construction. A pull ring 3|,or any other equivalent means, attached to the tear strip 30, isprovided for conveniently removing the latter to expose the contents ofthe container when the device is to be put into use.

- Suitable striker means are provided for igniting the match head 23. Tothis end, a spring member or clip 32 is suitably secured to the innerside of the cover 25, as by spot-Welding or the like, at 33 and 34. Apaper or cardboard member 35 provided with a striking surface 3511,similar to striking surfaces on safety match books, is provided. Thismember 35 has side and end protecting flaps 3B, 3! folded over thestriking surface 35a, and is inserted between the spring member 32 andthe inner surface of said cover member with its striking surface 350.facing the cover member 25. It is removably held in its insertedposition by the spring member 32 and extends below the tear strip 35 inthe space 26. Removal of the tear strip 30 exposes the striker member 35and makes it readily accessible to the user. It then may be readilyremoved from the spring clip 32, and its striking surface 35a exposed byunfolding of the flaps 36, 37. The striking surface 35a may then berubbed across the match head to ignite the latter, and, in consequence,the priming charge 19., The latter, upon burning, develops sufficientheat to burn away the disc 2i, and also to burn away the zinc primingcup or member I? and to ignite the smoke-producing contents 20 of thecontainer. Once ignited the said contents 20 continue to burn and toproduce voluminous clouds of smoke that escape through the openings l5and 29 to atmosphere, as shown in Fig. 5.

The smoke-producing compound 20 i loaded into container H) withhydraulic pressure and is of the type that requires a considerableamount of heat to raise it to its kindling temperature, which is higherthan that of the priming compound iQ; more heat than would be developedby merely striking a match head. For this reason, the priming compound19 is provided. The latter has a lower kindling temperature than thesmoke-producing compound and is easily ignited on ignition of the matchhead. In burning it develops enough heat to melt the member I1 and toreach the kindling temperature of the smoke-producing compound 20.

Since the match head 23 is preferably of the safety match type, thearrangement herein described results in a smoke-producing device that isvery safe to handle, store, and ship, and in which little fire hazard orlikelihood of premature combustion exists. The air in space 26,moreover, serve as heat insulation to prevent unwanted ignition of thepriming compound I9, should the container be stored in unduly warmplaces. It is also to be noted, that, until the panlike member !'Idisintegrates due to the burning of the priming charge I9, this primingcharge is fully protected and sealed from any contact with thesmoke-producing compound 20 or any vapors or gases therefrom.

Moreover, the hermetical sealing of the container as a whole provides arugged, efiicient moistureand waterproof device capable of withstandingsevere and unfavorable atmospheric conditions and environment, and whichis self-contained and ready for instant use in an emergency.

The match head could be one of the conventional match heads of the usualstriking type. In such event the striking surface 35a need merely be aroughened surface.

It is to be understood, of course, that variation in structural detailwithin the scope of the claims is contemplated. There is no intention oflimitation to the exact details shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a container, an inner lidadjacent one end of said container, a cover member spanning said end andlying in spaced relationship with respect to said inner lid, said covermember having an opening, means for attaching said cover member and saidinner lid in hermetical sealing relationship with said container, aremovable tear strip normally hermetically sealing said opening, saidinner lid having an opening, a pan-like member of combustible metalextending downwardly through said last-named opening from the upper sideof the inner lid, a rim upstanding from said inner lid about saidlast-named opening, means to secure said pan-like member to said rim,and a retaining ring of the same material as said panlike member to holdthe contents of the latter in place secured with said member to saidupstanding rim.

2. In a device of the character described, a container forsmoke-producing compound or the like, an inner lid of cup-like formfitted within an end of said container, said lid having an opening, anupstanding rim about said opening providing a tapering mouth therefor, apan-like member of metallic combustible material for a priming chargeinserted from the outer side of said lid and extending through saidopening, said' member being suspended from and secured to said rim, aretaining ring also secured to said rim and serving to retain saidpriming charge within said pan-like member, a cover fitted into the endof said casing and positioned in spaced relationship to said inner lid,means for joining said cover and said inner lid to said container withan hermetical seal, said cover having an opening, a tear striphermetically sealing said last-named opening, and means carried withinthe space between the cover and inner lid for igniting the said primingcompound after removal of said tear strip.

MARTIN DWYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,858,456 Mills May 17, 19321,548,693 Weaver Aug. 4, 1925 2,294,415 McBride Sept. 1, 1942 2,328,916LeComte Sept. 7, 1943 2,366,261 Hitt Jan. 2, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 275,830 British Aug. 15, 1927

